Victoria Beach · State Marine Reserve
Victoria Beach
Victoria Beach is a wide sand beach below Victoria Drive in south Laguna Beach, and the 1926 Pirate Tower stands on its sand at the foot of the cliff.
Photo: Carl Glover, CC BY 2.0
What it’s like
Victoria Beach is a wide sand beach with a rocky shore. The Coastal Commission lists sand, rocky shore, a path to the beach and wildlife viewing, and a California Coastal Trail guide calls the beach broad.
The Pirate Tower is the beach’s landmark. William Edward Brown, who served in the California State Senate, built the tower in 1926 as a staircase to the beach. It stands 60 feet tall, and castles that Brown and his wife Eleanor saw on a trip to France inspired it. The tower stands on the sand at the foot of the cliff.
Goff Island lies just past the far south end of the beach. The coastal trail guide places it beyond the seawall at that end.
Homes above the sand run from beach cottages to oceanfront estates. For the streets and housing around the beach, see the Victoria Beach neighborhood page.
Getting there and parking
Two sets of stairs lead down. One starts on Victoria Drive near Sunset Terrace. The other starts on Dumond Drive. A coastal trail guide warns that the Sunset Terrace stairs are easy to miss, so watch for them.
Parking is limited. The Coastal Commission lists on-street spaces near the stairs and no lot. The listing shows no restrooms, so plan around that. If you would rather not hunt for a space, the free Coastal Route trolley runs from North Laguna through downtown to South Laguna. Check the city’s trolley page for the stop nearest Victoria Drive. Our parking guide covers lots, meters and permits across town.
Beaches north of Aliso Creek close between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., and Victoria Beach falls in that group.
Rules and safety
Victoria Beach lies inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. California Fish and Wildlife describes the reserve as the shoreline from Abalone Point south to Goff Island, and the coastal trail guide places Goff Island just past the far end of Victoria Beach.
The rule applies on the sand and the rocks: it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource. Leave live animals, rocks and kelp where you find them. Recreational and commercial fishing are not allowed in the reserve. Swimming, wading, boating, diving and surfing stay allowed unless a sign says otherwise.
Tides matter here. The coastal trail guide calls the shoreline route from Victoria Beach toward Goff Island impassable at high tide. Check a tide table before you walk the sand, and ask the Department of Marine Safety about tides and surf.
On beaches where dogs are allowed, the city requires a leash of 6 feet or shorter. From June 15 to September 10, dogs are allowed only before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. The Coastal Commission’s file has no dog information for Victoria Beach, so read the signs at the stairs.
Good to know
The Coastal Commission describes the access as south of Victoria Drive. Moss Street Beach lies about half a mile north in a straight line, and the coves below the Montage Laguna Beach resort start less than a mile south.
Live from NOAA
Tides and water at Victoria
| Day | High and low tides |
|---|---|
| Loading NOAA predictions… | |
Sources: NOAA tide predictions, station 9410580 and NOAA NDBC buoy 46253 (owned by Scripps). The buoy reads open water offshore; water at the beach can differ. Check posted lifeguard flags before you swim.
Things to do
Things to do at Victoria
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Living nearby
Victoria Beach, by the numbers
The closest neighborhood to Victoria Beach. Read the Victoria Beach guide.
CRMLS: homes for sale today; closed sales in the 12 months through October 19, 2026. A median needs 5 sales.
Questions
Where are the stairs to Victoria Beach?
Stairs run down from Victoria Drive near Sunset Terrace and from Dumond Drive, according to the Coastal Commission. A coastal trail guide says the Sunset Terrace stairs are easy to miss.
Who built the Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach?
William Edward Brown, who served in the California State Senate, built it in 1926 as a staircase down to the beach. It stands 60 feet tall.
Is there parking at Victoria Beach?
The Coastal Commission lists limited on-street parking near the stairs. It lists no lot and no restrooms.
Can you collect shells or rocks at Victoria Beach?
No. Victoria Beach is inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve, where it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource.
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Last reviewed
Sources (10)
- Victoria Beach access (stairs from Victoria Dr. near Sunset Terrace and from Dumond Dr., limited on-street parking, sandy beach, rocky shore, path to beach, wildlife viewing, no restrooms): api.coastal.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-09
- A coastal trail guide calls Victoria Beach broad, says the stairs near Sunset Terrace are easy to miss, places Goff Island at the far end of the beach by the seawall, and calls the shoreline route impassable at high tide: californiacoastaltrail.org, checked 2026-10-09
- Pirate Tower (background history): a 60-foot tower built in 1926 as a staircase to the beach by William Edward Brown, who represented California's 37th district in the state senate; inspired by castles he and his wife Eleanor saw in France: en.wikipedia.org, checked 2026-10-09
- Visit Laguna Beach history post (2015, read via Wayback capture of 2024-02-04): the sixty-foot stone tower stands on Victoria Beach, battered by the tides and rising from the sandstone cliffs; built in 1926 as an enclosed staircase to the beach for William E. Brown, a senator from Los Angeles: visitlagunabeach.com, checked 2026-10-09
- Victoria Beach homes range from beach cottages to oceanfront estates above the sand: realatrends.com, checked 2026-10-09
- Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve runs from Abalone Point south to Goff Island; it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource; recreational and commercial fishing is not allowed: wildlife.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-09
- Swimming, wading, boating, diving and surfing are allowed in marine protected areas unless specifically prohibited: wildlife.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-09
- Beach closing hours north of Aliso Creek, the 6-foot leash limit, and the Department of Marine Safety as the contact for tides and surf: visitlagunabeach.com, checked 2026-10-09
- City rule: dogs must be leashed at all times; from June 15 to September 10 dogs are allowed on the beach only before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m., and at any time the rest of the year (read via Wayback capture of 2026-09-13): lagunabeachcity.net, checked 2026-10-09
- The free Coastal Route trolley runs on Coast Highway between North Laguna/Heisler Park, downtown and South Laguna (read via Wayback capture of 2026-06-14; same row in the realatrends.com verified table): lagunabeachcity.net, checked 2026-10-09